1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to nail clippers such as finger nail clippers and toe nail clippers and, more particularly, to the type of nail clippers in which like elongated jaws are secured to each other at one end and diverge from each other in the direction of their opposite ends at which are located actuable cutting edges.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A well known type of finger nail and toe nail clipper such as that depicted and described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,477,782 entitled "Nail Clipper," that on Feb. 67, 1947 issued on a patent application filed in the name of William E. Bassett, includes a pair of similarly-shaped elongated upper and lower jaws that are secured to each other at one end. The upper and lower jaws diverge away from each other along their length extending away from the end at which they are fastened together. Each of the jaws includes matable cutting edges formed at the ends of the jaws furthest from their juncture. An open space between the diverging jaws permits nail clippings to escape from either side of the nail clipper.
This conventional type of nail clipper also includes a cylindrically-shaped rivet having a longitudinal axis that extends through apertures piercing each of the jaws adjacent to their opposed cutting edges. An enlarged head, formed at one end of the rivet, engages an outer surface of the lower jaw furthest from the upper jaw. The opposite end of the rivet projecting away from its head extends outward beyond the upper jaw. A notch formed in the length of the rivet that projects outward beyond the upper jaw receives one end of an elongated, angled lever.
If the lever is properly disposed with respect to the rivet and to the upper jaw, the lever's end furthest from the rivet is spaced a short distance apart from the upper jaw's outer surface. Disposing the lever in this position opens the opposed cutting edges to permit insertion of an item to be cut, such as a finger nail or a toe nail, between them. A force then applied to the end of the lever furthest from the rivet that urges the lever's end toward the upper jaw pulls the rivet through the upper jaw. Pulling the rivet through the upper jaw draws the enlarged head of the rivet together with the lower jaw toward the upper jaw. Drawing the two jaws together in this way closes and mates the opposed cutting edges together for severing whatever may be located therebetween. This conventional type of nail clipper is widely available in various different sizes adapted for cutting finger nails and toe nails of different sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,850 entitled "Nail Clipper With Receiver For Clippings" that issued on a patent application filed in the name of Tsutomu Okuno ("the Okuno Patent") discloses a one-piece, U-shaped receptacle for nail clippings that fits within the open space between the jaws of a conventional nail clipper of the type described above. Opposing arms of the U-shaped receptacle disclosed in the Okuno Patent extend respectively along the length of each of the jaws between their cutting edges and the ends at which the jaws join together. Apertures formed through the opposing arms snap around the nail clipper's rivet. A hinge joining the arms together immediately adjacent to the ends at which the jaws join together completes the U-shaped receptacle's outer surface.
The U-shaped receptacle disclosed in the Okuno Patent includes flanges formed along the sides of the arms that respectively extend outward from one arm's edge toward the opposing arm's edge. The edges of the arms and the locations of the flanges along them are arranged so the flanges nest together when the arms close toward each other. Nested together in this way the flanges occlude the open sides of the nail clipper's jaws to capture and retain nail clippings within the receptacle. A dimple projecting outward from the outer surface of one of the receptacle's arms near the receptacle's hinge mates with a cavity formed in one of the nail clipper's jaws to lock the receptacle to the jaw for inhibiting its rotation about the rivet.
After a nail clipper which includes the clippings catcher disclosed in the Okuno Patent has been used, the receptacle is removed from the clipper for disposal of the clippings, and then reinserted to its position between the jaws to prepare the clipper for subsequent use. Because the receptacle disclosed in the Okuno Patent is adapted to fit within the open space between the jaws of the nail clipper and to be held there by the mating dimple and cavity, both the nail clipper and the receptacle disclosed in the Okuno Patent must be specially manufactured for use with each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,180,025 entitled "Combined Nail Clipper and Clippings Receptacle" that issued on a patent application filed in the name of Yasuhiko Tsunemi ("the Tsunemi Patent") discloses an envelope which encloses the jaws of a conventional nail clipper of the type described above except for their ends immediately adjacent to the cutting edges. The envelope includes an upper casing that is fixed to a nail clipper's upper jaw, and a lower casing that includes a latch for securing the lower casing to the nail clipper's lower jaw.
Each of the casings disclosed in the Tsunemi Patent includes a set of cylindrical hinge sleeves formed along its edge adjacent to the juncture of the nail clipper's jaws. The sleeves along each casing's edge mate with each other. Thus a pin inserted through the mated sleeves establishes a hinge joining the upper casing to the lower casing. Opposite ends of the pin are bent in opposite directions and respectively bear against the upper and lower casings to form a spring that urges the casings to close toward each other.
Juxtaposing the upper and lower casings respectively with a nail clipper's upper and lower jaws closes the envelope about the jaws. The envelope established by the closed upper and lower casings catch nail clippings as they are severed. Freeing the latch securing the lower casing to the lower jaw permits pulling the lower casing away from a nail clipper's lower jaw to discharge accumulated clippings. Because the envelope disclosed in the Tsunemi Patent encloses most of the nail clipper's jaws extending along most of their length from the jaws' juncture to their cutting edges, and because a latch secures the lower casing to the nail clipper's lower jaw; various different sizes of envelopes must be manufactured respectively for use with different sizes of nail clippers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,011 entitled "Nail Clipper," which issued on a patent application filed in the name of William L. Gamble, ("the Gamble Patent") discloses an elongated, pan-shaped, one-piece clippings retainer, a mounting end of which snaps onto the bottom jaw of a conventional nail clipper of the type described above about the end of the clippers at which the jaws join together. A hinge, formed integrally into the middle of the clippings retainer, connects this mounting end of the retainer to a second actuable end of the clippings retainer. The actuable end of the clippings retainer extends from the hinge along the length of the lower jaw to its cutting edge, and includes side panels which effectively occlude the opening between the jaws on both sides of the nail clipper. Inner surfaces of the side panels of the clippings retainer include at its actuable end include detent formations that retain it on the nail clipper's lower jaw. Thus disposed on a nail clipper, the clippings retainer of the Gamble Patent effectively encloses all outer surfaces of the nail clipper's lower jaw except its cutting edge, and outer side surfaces of its upper jaw.
After the nail clipper has been used for severing nails, pulling the clippings retainer's actuable end away from the lower jaw opens the sides of the open space between the jaws to release any accumulated clippings. Because the clippings retainer disclosed in the Gamble Patent clips onto the nail clipper's lower jaw and extends along its entire length, various different sizes of this clippings retainer must be manufactured, each different size of which fits only a particular size of nail clipper.